EgyptAir flight hijacker arrested, says Cypriot foreign ministry

A Cyprus foreign ministry official described the hijacker as "psychologically unstable," according to the Guardian.

[Representational Image] Egyptian authorities have reportedly said that the flight data recorder that was recovered from the EgyptAir plane that crashed into the Mediterranean Sea last month has been successfully repaired even as the French authorities have launched a manslaughter investigation into the crash. Picture: A policeman stands guard at Larnaca Airport near a hijacked EgyptAir A320 , March 29, 2016.Reuters

16:25 IST -- The BBC cited Cypriot media stating the hijacker was a former Egyptian army soldier who is opposed to Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi.

15:44 IST -- The EgyptAir hijacker is now reportedly asking for the release of prisoners in Egypt, according to Reuters. He has reportedly demanded some female prisoners in Egypt be freed.

15:15 IST -- Egypt authorities corrected the name of the hijacker to Seif El Din Mustafa. While reports had earlier named the hijacker as Ibrahim Samaha, it was later reported the man was a passenger on the plane and not the hijacker.

15:05 IST -- Four crew members and 3 passengers are still reportedly on board the hijacked EgyptAir flight.

15:04 IST -- Egyptian authorities organised a press briefing Tuesday on the EgyptAir flight hijacking and said there were no "effective demands" yet by the hijacker.

14:14 IST -- The hijacker's ex-wife is reportedly being brought to the Larnaca airport. The hijacker had demanded to see her.

14:06 IST -- The hijacker is reportedly a professor at Alexandria University.

14:03 IST -- Cyprus President Nikos Anastasiades has ruled out terrorism in the EgyptAir flight hijack, and said "it's all to do with a woman," according to the Guardian.

14:02 IST -- Five more people have been freed from the hijacked EgyptAir plane, AFP reported.

13:50 IST - There were eight Britons and 10 Americans on board the EgyptAir flight MS181, according to Reuters.

13:32 IST -- The EgyptAir hijacker has reportedly demanded asylum in Cyprus. He has been identified as Egyptian national Ibrahim Samaha by state media.

13:21 IST -- The EgyptAir hijacker has demanded a letter be handed to his ex-wife who lives in Larnaca, Cyprus, according to Cyprus TV, Bloomberg reported.

12:50 p.m. IST -- EgyptAir said all passengers have been released by the hijackers except for the crew members and foreigners on board, following negotiations. Earlier reports said Egyptians were being allowed to leave the plane. Some Americans and Britons are said to be among the passengers.

12:48 p.m. IST -- A Cypriot official said there "seems like there's more than one hijacker," according to Al Arabiya. The police in Cyprus have been told to back away from the hijacked plane, reports said.

12:41 p.m. IST -- At least 20 passengers have reportedly been allowed to leave the plane.

12:32 p.m. IST -- The airline said negotiations were on with the hijackers. The Associated Press cited Cypriot officials saying the plane hijackers were allowing some women and children to disembark. AFP reported the hijackers were letting Egyptian passengers leave the plane.

12:24 p.m. IST -- EgyptAir said there were 81 passengers on board and said the hijacked plane was an Airbus 320. The airline confirmed a passenger on board threatened he was wearing a suicide belt.

12:13 p.m. IST -- One hijacker threatened the pilot saying he was wearing an explosive belt, according to Reuters.

An EgyptAir domestic flight flying from Alexandria to Cairo was hijacked and was forced to land in Cyprus Tuesday, according toreports that cited the airline's spokeswoman. The Associated Press reported a bomb was suspected on board, while Reuters said there was at least one armed man on the EgyptAir flight.

While earlier reports suggest there were at least 80 people on board, Reuters cited the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation stating there were 55 people on board, with 7 crew members.

The hijackers reportedly asked the crew to land the flight in Cyprus. The plane landed at Larnaca airport.

Last year, a Russian plane had crashed in Egypt's Sinai Province and a bomb was suspected to have brought down the plane.